Kelly Wiley

Kelly graduated with a BA in Child Development from Chico State. She has worked with young children in licensed programs since 1983.

She owned and operated Golden Gate Music Together in San Francisco 2001-2016.

She created Golden Gate Children’s Art & Outdoor Explorations in the Fall of 2013. Her vision was and still is, to offer a Reggio Inspired Enrichment Program that allowed children to tinker and explore a wide range of materials and express themselves with many different mediums. To document their process and reflect back their ideas by asking questions. To provide a art & outdoor space that was the third teacher because it inspired creativity. To build strong relationships with and between children. To foster their development and to encourage joy.

Kelly was first exposed to Reggio Emilia in 1995 when working at the PG & E Children's Center in San Francisco. It was one of the first centers in the city to start implementing Reggio Emilia inspired classrooms. Funding from the center allowed for her to take part in local and nationwide trainings and roundtable Reggio Meetings. She has remained an active member of NAEYC and attends NAREA Conferences throughout the year. Kelly has attended Reggio Emilia,Italy trainings since the Fall of 2019.

Kelly attends workshops in Reggio Emilia, Italy every Spring in April and in November. She often brings Teachers with her to attend these workshops.

This Spring 2026 she will attend workshops hosted by NAREA in Pistoia, Italy in April & Reggio Emilia, Italy in May.

Eliana Bustamante

Ellie grew up in Bolinas, CA where she first began working with children in her mother’s summer camp. She quickly developed a deep love of playing, art making and conversing with little ones and went on to study Early Childhood Education at Cabrillo College in Santa Cruz.

She loves to hike, play soccer, swim in the ocean and kick back with family and friends. She graduated from UC Berkeley with a Bachelor’s degree in Art in 2017, and lives in San Francisco.

Attended Teacher Training workshop in Reggio Emilia, Italy Spring of 2023

Max Schieble

Max Schieble is a multidisciplinary artist who works in recorded music, visual art, and film. He graduated from NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study in 2013 where he developed his concentration in cross-medium narrative studies, focused on how storytelling can be enhanced through the interweaving of visual, written, and aural mediums. Max has performed throughout North America and in 2021 released the album Tales From The Old Mill with EveryDejaVu Records, a musical autobiography that detailed his experience growing up in the Bay Area.

Inspired by his experience co-writing and producing songs with other artists, Max began teaching music and songwriting to children of friends and family in 2020. Max is deeply inspired by the Reggio philosophy of exploration and creating with a sense of openness, letting the materials guide our creative intuition without an intended destination.

Attended Teacher Training workshop in Reggio Emilia, Italy Spring 2025.

Kelcey Christen

Kelcey Christen is a multidisciplinary conceptual artist living in San Francisco. She graduated from the University of California Berkeley, Art Practice in 2025 and since then has taught ceramics, drawing and sculpture at the Berkeley Art Studio and other bay area independent art studios. Through a range of recording devices, her work dances between drawing, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, and sound. She looks at how controlled repetitive processes can both contain order and disorder, allowing freedom and expression to all artists. Her work focuses on collecting and foraging natural and recycled materials and processing them into beautiful working art materials. She is interested in the slowness involved in craft and art and the lessons we can learn from our unity with nature. She enjoys biking, sports, and music in her free time, and loves dogs.

Shaneta Davis

Shaneta is a seasoned Early Childhood Education professional with 17 years of dedicated experience supporting young learners and fostering meaningful developmental growth. Currently pursuing her BA in Early Childhood Education, she is committed to expanding her expertise and deepening her impact within the field.

A creative spirit at heart, Shaneta draws inspiration from the outdoors—often capturing life’s most beautiful moments through her camera lens. Her passion for creativity influences every aspect of her work and personal life. Beyond her professional pursuits, she is a devoted gym enthusiast and sunset chaser, finding balance and clarity through movement and nature.

Naturally introspective and thoughtful, Shaneta values personal development and meaningful conversations. She brings this reflective approach into her professional practice, continuously seeking ways to grow, connect, and contribute with intention.

Zizi Hayes

Zizi Hayes was born in Oakland and grew up in San Francisco, CA. They attended a Language immersion school in Elementary and Middle school where they learned to be fluent in Spanish. They grew up in a community where art and music had a heavy influence. As a child, Zizi partook in horseback riding (influenced by their grandmother who is very passionate about horses), dance, musical theater, and singing, with the occasional visual art interests, in things like drawing, painting, paper machete and linocut print making. Later on, Zizi attended UC Santa Cruz and got a B.A. in psychology. They were heavily inspired by the nature surrounding the campus and town, that now influences a lot of their interests, as well as their visual art. They enjoy drawing, painting, needle felting, beading, and is always trying to learn more and discover new mediums and techniques. Zizi has been working with children as an enrichment teacher since 2021, right as they graduated college, and has been an associate teacher at another Reggio Emilia inspired program. Zizi admires the Reggio approach to learning as it is student centered, emphasises that every child is competent, and focuses on art, play, and exploration. Zizi loves animals (especially their two cats), traveling, hiking, bike riding, camping, horse back riding, taking care of house plants, singing, crafting, cooking, and dancing, among many other things.

Attended Teacher Training in Reggio Emilia, Italy in April 2025.

Nataly Zavala

My name is Nataly Nicole Zavala. I grew up in Northern California .My love of working with kids stemmed from being an older sister. I learned early on what natures a child’s confidence, curiosity, and growth. My first job was working with kids in summer camps and teaching them to swim. I attend San Francisco State University where I study Cell and Molecular biology. As I have high interest for STEM I still have an equally high interest in the Arts. I practice sewing, hand sewing, and making things from used or thrifted items to make them into new projects. I love the practice of making art from new and old textures, materials, fabrics, etc. I believe children need spaces to flourish their artistic visions and dreams much like Golden Gate Art and Nature.